Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1887-04-02
SEA LIONS.
Fierce = Looking but Timid
Beasts or the Alaska Coast.
Their Great Szs and Peculiarities - How
They are Captured


ia@, crowlin5, yelling and grunting both
day and night that at a distance it
sounds Ike the Niagara Falls. This
noise IS made up Of the cries and battles
OF the old bull seals, Ii Ms and walrusesz
\ fGllgrown sea lion measures from
c.evcn TO twelve feet in length aud eight
to ten feetraround his mighty chest. His
eye is not the soft, Iimpid, fearful eye
OF the fur sea, but more the eye of the
bulldog 1t shows the white in the
corner. and has q fierce gleam. 1t is
covered with hair which is valueless as
fur, and has q short grizzly name. It's
white, cleaning teeth showing against
the dark red Of its wide, deep mouth
present a very formidable appearance.
, When che great size and weight 1200
pouAls) are considered, the beast is
( enough to frighten even stout hearts.
Fighting among themselves they are
terrible, but in the presence of man they
are as timid as hares. They constantly :
keep sentincls on guard, and these give
the alarm upon the approach Of danger,
when the whole herd stampedes into the,
! sea. Although fierce fighters among
themselves, they do not molest the fur
! seals, and the two seem to live comforta-
bly, together. The seals, however, have
wholesome fear of the lions.
During the season the seals never go
near the water, and neither eat nor
drink for nearly three months; but it is
not so with the lions. They are always
between the seals and the sea, and are
constantly sporting in the water When
on shore, they lie among the rocks in
all sorts of shapes, just as the stones
happen to be; and as their spines are
butt on the ball and socket plan, being,
therefore, very pliable, they are COM
| Portable and easy in positions which are
distressing to look upon.
In the water the grace of all this fami y
is manifest. They swim with perfect
ease, striking with their forward flippers
and guiding themselves by means of the
hind ones. The fur seal swims often
with his head high out of the water and
turns his head from one side, looking for
friends, but the sea lions and walruses
only come to the surface occasionally foI
air, swimming few feet beneath the sur.
face. They arc never happy as during q
gale, when the breakers are rolling in.
They may be seen riding high upon the
crest of the breaker, dividing just before il
dissolvcs in foam, to appear upon an
other and ride 1t to land
Having no fur, the sea lion is not oi
any use TO Us, but the natives prize il
highly. They cover the bottom of theil
boats with its hide. make the best o
waterproof clothing of its intestines
dried and sewed together, make OF
pouches of its stomach and eat the flesh
That of the old bulls is said to be ranl
and tishy, but the young pups, wher
roasted, satisfy the palates of the mos
fastldious The natives, however, stril
the carcass and hang it up, where
it stays from November to tn
following May. They cut off wha
they want, and it may be easily believed
that towards the last it gets decided,
cloud" However, like lovers of game
thcg profess to like it better the ripper il
gets.
FWhc the sea lions are sleeping the
natives sly!y crawl between them anC
the water, and when a number ar
thus cut oif from the sea they rise III
and wave flags, shout, fire guns anc
make a terrible row, which 50 frighten;
the hons that they run or wigglc up th
shore and are driven inland. 1t is q pc
culiarity, however, that whatever wa
their heads happen to point, tha
is the way they run. and everything am
/ everybody must stand out Of the way o
g berun down. After they have gone
little distance they fall, exhausted an,
painting, upon the ground. Then tn
=. drivers urge them OF By every means
! The urineip4! thing II scare then
! is hosting a blue gincham umbrella il
their faces. They cannot stand this an,
wiIrsnove on with frightened aspect.
After sufficient number are caugh
they are -''roandei up" and stake
: driven all around Them, upon which az
placed tl4-s and strings from on